>> perhaps you'd post some
>> examples so we can all learn about it.
>>
> From the kernel sources:
Not examples, then.
> constants.c: {0x0C01, "Write error - recovered with auto reallocation"},
> constants.c: {0x0C02, "Write error - auto reallocation failed"},
> constants.c: {0x1104, "Unrecovered read error - auto reallocate failed"},
> constants.c: {0x1406, "Record not found - data auto-reallocated"},
> constants.c: {0x1603, "Data sync error - data auto-reallocated"},
> constants.c: {0x1706, "Recovered data without ECC - data
> auto-reallocated"},
> constants.c: {0x1802, "Recovered data - data auto-reallocated"},
Ah constants.c. That'll be drivers/scsi/constants.c, will it? SCSI is
different from ATA - which is what the discussion was about - and
different capabilities ensue.
Now I know that modern kernels tend to merge ATA and SCSI drives in terms
of how they are viewed (e.g. SATA drives showing up as /dev/sdX), but if
you look at the file, you'll see it's SCSI sense stuff, not ATA
reallocation.
What you've found above is again what is reported to the OS from the drive
firmware. It isn't the kernel doing the reallocation, it's the kernel
being able to understand the drive's reporting.
So I ask again - do you have any examples of what you claim, or are you
just going to throw random grep output at me and claim it supports your
argument?
>> That leaves you with all your files intact.
>
> No it does not in all cases. In some cases the data is recovered, in
> other cases it is not.
If the data is not recovered, you haven't got a reallocation - you've got
a disk failure. Disk failures do occur; they are less frequent than they
might be because of the drive's ability to swap out failing sectors before
they are completely gone, but immortal drives do not exist, even with
sector reallocation.
>> That renders it "bloke in a pub told me"-reliable.
>
> Well maybe, but the other people also listening were Linus Torvalds
> and Andrew Morton together with about 5 other Linux kernel developers.
> I therefore trusted the statement.
I once heard a bloke talking total cobblers about engines. Sir Stirling
Moss was also listening. Is a speaker made reliable by his audience?
Stirling Moss didn't think so, judging by the look on his face. But he
didn't say a word...
Vic.
